Means for packing runners for curtain rails



April 1943- G. HUDSON ETAL 2,317,531

MEANS FOR PACKING RUNNERS FOR CURTAIN RAILS Filed Nov. 17, 1939 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 LESLIE G5 DON HUDSON Nonmm OWELL.

FETTDRNEY APril 1943- 1.. cs. HUDSON ETAL 2,317,531

I MEANS FOR PACKING RUPINERS FOR CURTAIN RAILS .Filed Nov. 17. 1939 2 Shets-Sheet 2 l NVE NTORs: Lasu: G-ORDoN Hul 6oN NORMFIN POWELL FITTORNEY Patented Apr. 27, 1943 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MEANS FOR PACKING RUNNERS FOR CURTAIN RAILS Northern Ireland Application November 1'7, 1939, Serial No. 334,950

In Great Britain November 18, 1938 4 Claims.

This invention relates to a method of unloading runners for curtain rails to enable their quick and easy assemblage on to the rail.

At present, runners are packed in bulk so that each individual runner has to be handled and threaded on to the rail and in some instances where there are two wheels with flat sides the wheels of such runners often have free movement laterally along their axles so that the two wheels tend to hang together. A certain difficulty consequently is experienced, because the wheels have to be separated when the runners are threaded on to the rail.

In accordance with this invention we provide a substantially rigid straight runner-holder or guide for curtain runners with rollers which a series of runners are feedable on to and withdrawable from and which traverses the runners, said holder having a wall of substantially roller width on which the rollers of the runners can travel, and a wall bent relative to the first mentioned wall and of substantially the Width of the diameter of the rollers and a deformable end tongueon at least one of said walls which can be bent so as to move along the longitudinal aXis of the guide to hold the runners on the holder or bent to release them therefrom.

We also provide according to the invention, as a new article of manufacture, a substantially rigid holder or guide, runners threaded on to said holder or guide and held thereby in substantially the relative position that they are to occupy when in operation, and deformable retension means on said holder or guide for retaining said runners against accidental displacement.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the invention.

Fig. 1 is an elevation of one form and Fig. 2'is a cross-section thereof, to an enlarged scale;

Figs. 3 to 9 are perspective views of modifications;

Fig. 10 is a side elevation of a modification;

Fig. 11 is a cross section on line XIXI in Fig. 10;

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of a modified form of holder or guide;

Fig. 13 is a cross-section of a modified form of holder or guide;

Figs. 14 to 17 are cross-sections of difierent forms of rails;

Figs. 18 and 19 are end elevations of different forms of runners.

In the form of device illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2 we provide a trough-shaped metal holder or guide a for the runners b of such dimensions that it can be conveniently slipped between the upper and lower flanges c, d, of an I- or similar-shaped rail 6, having a Web e", when filled with runners b. The dimensions are such that the runners b may be conveniently disposed in the trough a with the peripheries of the rollers f adjacent each other and the interior surfaces of the walls g of the trough a and the inside surfaces in of the rollers adjacent the bottom 1' of the trough. The ends of the walls or the base i of the trough a for the whole or part of their width may be bent so that they can move parallel to the longitudinal axis of the guide inwardly after the runners b are loaded on to the trough a so as to prevent the rollers rolling down the trough when such is not desired. When it is desired to unload the runners b on to the I-rail e the trough a packed with runners b is run between the top and bottom flanges c, d, of one side of the I-rail e so that the exterior surface lc of the bottom 2' of the trough lies against the adjacent surface of the web e of the I-rail e and, in the case where the rollers f of the runners b are in opposite pairs running on spindles m obtained by bending in the arms of a substantially U-shaped carrier n, the inside (or adjacent) surfaces h of the unloaded rollers f lie adjacent the surface of the web "e of the I-rail substantially opposite the corresponding surfaces of the counterpartal rollers f packed in the said holder 01- trough a. The end 7' of the holder or trough a adjacent the end from which it is desired to unload the runners b is then straightened out and the runners b unloaded from the holder or trough a on to the I-rail e as desired. g

In a modified form instead of bending down the ends of the walls of the trough other suitable stops may be attached to said walls in a displaceable or removable manner so as to -keep the runners in the trough when in place or in one position and to permit the runners running off the trough on to the I-rail. when removed or in another position.

In another form of the device as illustrated in Fig. 3 the holder guide or'trough a may simply be L-shaped, that is to say the trough may lack a wall, and have only one wall 9. Otherwise the holder ortrough may be used in a similar manner 'to the one in the previously described example.

In a further form of device as illustrated in Fig. 4 two L-shapedtroughs or guides 03, a may be combined by connecting the outer edges of the shorter limbs g of the L by a substantially U- shaped connecting member 0, integral therewith or not, so that the assembled device may he slid on to the lower flange d of an I-rail, the two long arms a a of the L standing back to back and making contact or nearly so with opposite sides of the web e of the I-rail, or as illustrated in Fig. 5 two L-shaped troughs or guides may be combined by connecting the top edges of the longer limbs a a for a part of their lengths by a bridge member 20, so that the two long arms a a stand back to back with suflicient space between them to admit the web e of the rail. This device as in the previous case may be provided with end stops to keep the rollers in position on the container or trough until it is desired to unload the rollers on to the I-rail.

In another form of the device as illustrated in Figs. 6, 7 and 8 the main body of the. unloading unit or holder or guide trough a may be .L-shaped and may be butted up against the ends of the rail e, the shorter limbs g of the .L being extended to grip the web e of the trough.

In these constructions the ends of the wall forming the base 2' of the trough can either be bent out, as illustrated in Fig. 6 at q, or turned back on themselves as illustrated in Fig. 7 at Q2, in the form of a wedge whose thickest end would lie at the extremity or point of contact with the rail, or the wall, as illustrated in Fig. 8, can be cut or formed into tongues 1', which could be opened so as to lie on either side of the web of the rail, so that the rollers would be separated as the runners are threaded or unloaded on to the rail. These tongues r may be bent back at first to prevent the runners from falling off the holder. Fig. 8 also illustrates how the shorter limb g of the L may be bent over and back to form a flange s for gripping the lower flange d of the I-rail.

In a further form of the device made in accordance with the invention the troughs or holder forming the unloading unit may be suitably marked to indicate the number of runners contained thereon or therein and as illustrated in Fig. 9 the walls or flanges g of the trough guide or holder 11 may be serrated to enable them to I be bent without buckling the flanges 9 if necessary, in the event of there not being enough room on the end of the rail to allow of a rigid straight unit to be used. The packing umjt may be formed of sheet metal or any other suitable material. In Figs. 3 to 9, inclusive, a piece at each end of the base of the trough is nipped so that it can be bent inwardly as illustrated in Fig. 1 to retain the runners after loading as in Fig. 1.

As illustrated in Fig. 14 on one side of; the web e of the I-rail the angle formed by the junction of the web e and the lower flange d may be rounded oil as at d to spacethe runners from the web.

Instead of I-shaped rails, wemay, as illustrated in Figs. 15, 16 and 17 employ rails e, e and e shaped like an L, or a OI'aT and with such rails we may employ runners as illustrated in Fig. 18 with one wheeler roller 1) rotating on a spindle formed by the inturned free end m of a U-shaped carrier 1). This Wheel or roller b runs on the flange d of theraile, and the free limbs m of the U lies adjacent the opposite side of the web e of the rail.

With the I-rail runners may be employed of which one roller f is cylindrical and the other spherical and rotatable on an axle m at an angle to that m of the cylindrical roller.

As illustrated in Figs. 10 and 11 in the case of a flat rail t a C-shaped holder or guide it may be employed, to carry runners such as b the holder u having end stops 1).

As illustrated in Fig. 12 the holder or guide to is flat, with upturned members a: and may be employed end to end with a flat rail to unload the runners.

As illustrated in Fig. 13 the container or guide y is hook shaped and may be slipped over the top of a flat rail to unload the runners.

It will be evident that the details of construction may be varied in many ways without departing from the scope of the invention.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. As a new article of manufacture a substantially rigid straight runner-holder or guide for certain runners with rollers which a series of runners are feedable on to and withdrawable from and which traverses the runners, said holder having a wall of substantially roller width on which the rollers of the runners can travel and a Wall bent relative to the first mentioned wall and of substantially the width of the diameter of the rollers and a deformable end tongue on at least one of said walls which can be bent so as to move along the longitudinal axis of the guide to hold the runners on the holder or bent to release them therefrom.

2. As a new article of manufacture a substantially rigid straight runner-holder or guide for curtain runners with rollers which a. series of runners are feedable on to and withdrawable from, and which traverses the runner, said holder having a wall of substantially roller width on which the runners of the roller can travel and a wall at substantially right angles to the first mentioned wall and of substantiallythe width of the diameter of the rollers, and a deformableend tongue on the second said wall which can be bent so as to move along the longitudinal axis of the guide to hold the runners on the holder or bent to release them therefrom.

3. As a new article of manufacture-a substantially rigid or straight runner-holder or guide I for curtain runners with rollers, which a series of rollers are feedable on to and withdrawable from, and which traverses the runner. said holder having walls of substantially roller width on which the rollers of the runner can travel and a wall between and at substantially right angles to the first mentioned Walls and of substantially the width of the diameter of the rollers and a deformable end tongue on one of the said walls which can be bent so as to move along the'longitudinal axis of the guide to hold the runners on the holder or to release them therefrom.

4. As a new article of manufacture for curtain runners a substantially rigid troughshaped runner-holder orguide having serrated walls to enable the holder or guide to be bent in a" plane parallel to the walls without buckling the walls, and a deformable end tongue to at least oneof said walls bendable so as'to movealong the longitudinal axis of the guide and to holdthe runners on the holder.

LESLIE GORDON HUDSON. NORMAN POWELL. 

